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Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Colony Bits

I'm here. *Overwhelmed. Grateful. Ecstatic.*It's snowing. I can see the snowflakes through my window. They are beautiful and they are smaller than the periods at the end of these sentences. No. They are Whitman's atoms. They belong to me. And they belong to you. *My studio has three desks. A large fireplace. A coffee/tea nook. A porch with a bin full of firewood. *I brought my Smurf blanket with me! You can see it draped on the bed in one of the photographs.*I don't have a live-in studio this time. I have a bedroom in a dormitory and a studio. I will be spending most of my time in my studio. I love to wake up and start writing immediately. *The last time I was here my studio was close to Colony Hall, the place where we eat, wash our clothes, play ping-pong, and hang out. This time my studio is farther out. It takes me about 25 minutes to walk from my studio to Colony hall. *I got lost yesterday! I made a wrong turn somewhere and I ended up walking and walking around aimlessly. Did I mention I was carrying my laptop bag and a duffel bag while I was doing all this walking? After thirty minutes, I ran into another colonist. She looked at her map, smiled kindly, and told me it might be a good idea if I walked to Colony Hall to ask for a ride to my studio. Ha. *The staff here is so welcoming and kind. *I'm in my studio right now. I'm listening to Juan Gabriel and singing out loud. I wouldn't dare sing in public; I can't carry a tune to save my life. But I know nobody can hear me. This place gives me the courage to sing. *Can I tell you something? I'm already in love with my studio. It's cozy and lovely. I'm surrounded by windows. A beautiful rug covers the brick-red floor. The roof beams are studded with knots. *Lunch will be delivered soon in a picnic basket. Lunch yesterday was yummy: Vegetarian chili, cornbread, celery and carrot sticks, a pear, two pecan cookies.*Confession: Not only did I bring along a Smurf blanket, but I also brought my Smurf pajamas. *Ecstatic. Grateful. Overwhelmed.